What should we talk about today?
The world according to Kirkey
iankirkebc 
Cancer – there, I said it. According to the most recent research reported in the British Journal of Cancer, over half of us under the age of sixty-five will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in our lifetime. If you manage to dodge this bullet there is a significant chance that you will know … Read more
Who hasn’t heard of Banksy, the unknown artist who has turned graffiti into a desirable art form? The simple, striking sketches of rebellion that sell for hundreds of thousands of pounds. Where a spray-can effortlessly and uniquely connects the fierce foes of socialism and capitalism, society and counter-culture, pitching religion against secularism, whilst also looking … Read more
To a speedway fan a programme is as important as a baton in the hand of a conductor, a bow to a violinist or a wig to a barrister at the Old Bailey. But once the action is over where does your record of sporting endeavour end up? Does it have any residual value, especially … Read more
How often have you woken disappointed that you only recall fragments of that dream? The one that doesn’t make sense and is often framed within a bizarre fantasy. Dreams exist for several psychological reasons, including the notion that they may help us consolidate and better understand our memories, which in turn equips us to respond … Read more
If my own experiences are anything to go by funerals are usually pretty sombre occasions. I suspect the only exceptions to this general rule are when genocidal maniacs such as Hitler, Genghis Khan, and Pol Pot kick the bucket. Culture shapes what rituals are followed and how mourners should behave, with religion very often presiding … Read more
Let me, a member of the electorate, make it abundantly clear from the get-go that I dislike Boris Johnson. If you are a paid-up member of his fan club then please exit here. On the other hand, if you are minded to hear me out (for about five minutes), I will regale you with my … Read more
I recall reading, or maybe I was told, that people don’t mind change unless it happens to them. I have searched the internet looking for the author of this gem, alas without success. However, I remain convinced that it is buried somewhere within the information highway and one day I will be able to credit … Read more
When I was about eight years old my mum donned a large headscarf, equally enormous earrings, and looked into a crystal ball. I vividly remember this spectacle since she was performing a charade as a clairvoyant at the local school fete. It was a crude and rather comical caper, although people still paid to have … Read more
One Christmas Eve, aged around ten, I heard some odd shuffling noises coming from the landing. Tucked up in bed I decided to investigate, but I had to be cunning since my parents had given me a clear directive, “If you don’t go to sleep Father Christmas won’t come!” Lifting myself gingerly onto the chest … Read more
When SCB referee Si Humphrey-Kennett kindly agreed to talk to me I thought it only fair that I meet him on his own turf in Kent. Waiting patiently outside Specsavers I was a little disappointed when he left and walked straight past me. I hollered out, “You cannot be serious!” Perhaps not exactly a true … Read more